Combined coal and cinder handling plant



Sept. 29, 1931 c. P. Ross COMBINED COAL AND CINDER HANDLING PLANT Filed Jan. 8, 192'! 2 Sheets-Sheet l [nae/afar 52% e 1 71 3055 gain 1?!!0772751 Sept. 2%, 1931. c. P. Ross 1,824,930

COMBINED COAL AND CINDER HANDLING PLANT Filed Jan. 8, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 O O O O IF? U??? for aydc 2/5050 L W Patented Sept. 29, 1931 U STATES PATENT CLYDE P. ROSS, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS V COMBINED COAL AND CINDERIHANDLING PLANT Application filed January s, 1927. Serial No. 159,833. I

My invention relates to a combined coal and cinderplant and has for its purpose to provide such a plant in which coal for recoaling locomotivesmay be received, stored and delivered and in which cindersmayflbe of a plant which shall be particularly flexible and. quickly' operated. Other objects will appear from time to time in thecourse of the specification and claims I illustrate myvinvention more or less diagrammatically in the V accompanying drawings, wherein- V y Figure 1 is a transverse vertical section;

Figure2 is an enlarged detail of the structure shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a front elevation of Figure 2; and t Figure 4 is a detail.

Like parts are indicated by like symbols throughoutthe specification and drawings.

A indicates a coal receivingtrack upon which coal cars can be spotted in order to discharge their contents into the hopper A with any suitable gate. or closure A operated for example by the link A and the lever A. .7 v

B indicates a track upon which locomotives may be positioned for decindering, the

cinders being'received for, example in the hopper B the bottom of whichis controlled by the slotted gate B with the rollers 13 and the track B B a control leverconnected to the gate for-example by thelin-k Bi f v (1 indicates a,- track upon which the cinder receiving car. C may. :be spotted and- D indicates a track adapted .to support-the locomotive D? for ,coa'ling. Positioned above the track Dis any suitable material storage structure, herein shown as atypical coal hopper or tower including the s upporting members D the transverse members D the inclined braces D, the hopper or pin'D with the inclined bottom D and the 'c'oaldelivery D pivoted as at D to the spout D r E generally indicates" a tunnel,"herein shown with the inclined bOlltOIll E which penetrates beneath the hoppers A and B It is provided with the tracks E on the bottom E and with a pair of supplemental tracks E spaced thereabove; The track E is upwardlyinclined as at'E the inclined portion being herein shown "as extending to the top of the hopper D "lhe supple-f mental tracks E are of the-"same gauge as V the tracks E and are provided at their junction with the inclined portion E; as shown in Figure 4, with acut away portion E2 the purposes f0rfwhich will later ape pear. 1 i

indicates any suitable support or tower which aids in supporting the track structure E, "It 1s herein shown as having a laterally extendingvarm or wing G ass sociated withwhich 'is a track G of the same gauge, as the track E and continues with it. G 'indicate gusset plates on which a the track G? is supported and held against movement in relation to'the track-E land the tower G. (i indicates a vertical battle the wings G? of v'vhichserve as gusset plates to connect theouter endsofthe member G and'the track G G indicates a gusset plate connecting the top ottheltower G with the top ot't'he member G G in.-. dicates a track section "longitudinally moviable along the channel' E which constitutes the upward continuation of the track E4. G are slots, in the gusset plates G and the channels'E through which passes the stud orjpin G? whereby the track sections G? is moved. G indicatesfa link in connection with said studs G and pivoted at its opposite end to th'e'crank -arm G It will be understood that this actuating mechanism may arms are controlled suitable means for examplethe chain G. G. indicates'a supplemental" track spaced laterally away from the track sections E E, the purpose for which will later appear. The track section E continues to the top of the hopper l) and terminates in a laterally projecting generally horizontal track section H. H indicates a track sec tion generally continuing the track E but separated therefrom by a gap and H is a supplemental laterally spaced track section corresponding to the section G. H indicates a hinged door normally in position as shown in full line in Figure 1 but adapted to be swung upwardly into the dotted line position there shown.

J is a hoist bucket having a pair of supporting wheels J the bottom of the bucket and an additional pair of supporting wheels J 2 adjacent the top of one sideof the bucket. J are supplemental wheels the purpose of' whichf will later be indicated. J is a pivoted bail to which may be secured the hoist 'cableJ J G is an idler adjacent the opening of the tunnel E. J J are sheaves at the top of the hopper D J 8 is an idler and J is a hoist drum adapted to be actuated by any suitable mechanism within the tower house J Mounted at the end of the bail J are rollers J the use of which will 7 later be described.

It will be realized that whereas I have described and shown a practical and operative. device, nevertheless many changes might be made insize, shape, number and disposition of parts without departing from the spirit of my invention. I therefore wish my drawings to be taken as in a broad sense illustrative or diagrammatic rather than as limiting me to my specific showing. The use and operation of my invention are as follows In locomotive upkeep, it is of course necessary constantly to supply the locomotives used with fresh increments of fuel and constantly to remove from the locomotives the solid waste products of combustion in the form of ashes or cinders. It is important torender it possible to coal and decinder locomotives as rapidly as possible with a minimum track space and a maximum flexibility; It is also important, in order to keep down the cost of installation, that a minimum of excavation be necessary. I have developed a peculiarly compact and eflicient and easily and cheaply constructed installation wherein locomotives may be easily and quickly coaled and decindered, I illustrate my plant as including a coal receiving track, a decindering track, a cinder car track and a locomotive coaling track, although I do not wish to be limited rigidly to any such arrangement. The coal discharge and cinder discharge tracks are herein shown as arranged in onepair and the cinder receiving and coal receiving tracks in another. Beneath the former two are hoppers and beneath the hoppers extends a tunnel into which can run a hoist bucket. I provide any suitable means for controlling the flow of material from the hoppers and preferably the hoppers are of such size as to be able to accumulate a quantity of material, so that i if necessary but one hoist need be used, the accumulated coal or cinders being held in the hopper until the bucket is spotted therebeneath and being released by the release of the gates employed. When filled the bucket is hoisted, by rotation of the drumJ which reels in the cable J When the bucket is in the tunnel it' is supported by the wheels J J the former engaging the track E and the latter the supplemental track E. It will be understood that the wheels J 2 have a wider face than the wheels J and J 3 so that the wheels J and J 3 may pass through the gap E in the track E and the wheels J with their wider face will span the gap E closed position and the buckettravels to the s top of the track E above the hopper D The rollers J of the bucket bail J engage the gate H and swings it into the open or dotted line position as shown in Figure 1'. Since the track E terminates in the laterally extending portion H the wheels J ride along the track H. However the supplemental rollers J 3 engage the track H thus preventing the wheels J from riding out on. the track H. Instead they engage the supplemental track section H and as the hoisting action continues the bucket is tilted into the position shown in dotted line and at the top of Figure 1. The gate H serves as a'bafilc 531d the coal is discharged into the hopper When the bucket contains cinders the operator actuates the crank arm G by means of the chain G to lift the track section G into the position shown in Figure 2, thus breaking the connection between the tracks E and E When the bucket is hoisted the dumping action takes place exactly as above described. The wheels J ride on the track G the supplemental wheels J ride on the supplemental track G and the wheels J are thus enabled to bridge the gap and to ride upon the track E, the result being that the bucket is tilted into the position shown in Figure 2. The'cinders are thereby disl trollir'ig mechanism the hoist,v since they form no part of thepresent invention.

1 claim; 7 1. IH aICQIHbHI coal receiving track, including a hoist bucket, and means for guiding it beneath the two first mentioned tracks and above the last two tracks, said guide means including an inclined portion extendingupwardly of and laterally over the said last two tracks, individual bucket discharging stations on the inclined guide 'means substantially vertically alined with the respective coal and cinder receiving tracks, and

at substantially different elevations thereabove, and selectively operable means for delivering to the hoist bucket a'load from the first two tracks and selectively operable means for dumping the hoist bucket above the second two tracks. 1 p

2. In a combined coal andfcinder plant, a plurality of material discharging tracks, hoppers thcrebeneath, a plurality of ma terial receiving tracks, a conveying bucket and a track therefor, including a portion aligned beneath said hoppers and an in- I clined portion of said track extending above and over said material receiving tracks, means for moving said bucket from end to end of said track, bucket discharging stations on said inclined portion of the track in substantially vertical alinement with the material receiving track respectively, and means for discharging said bucket selectively above the individual material receiving tracks.

3. In a combined coal and cinder plant, a plurality of material discharging tracks, hoppers therebeneath, a material receiving bucket and a track therefor, said track extending beneath said hoppers, a plurality of material receiving tracks, said bucket track extending upwardly aboveiand laterally over said material receiving tracks, and separate bucket discharge means, associated with said bucket track, for the individual material receiving tracks, said bucket discharging means being substantially vertical ly alined with the material receiving tracks and at different elevations thereabove,

4. In a combined coal and cinder plant, a plurality of material discharging tracks, hoppers therebeneath, a material receiving bucket and a track therefor, said track exbeneath hoppers, a plurality of inaterial receiving tracks, said bucket track extending upwardly above and overlying lea idniaterial receiving tracks, and separate bucket discharge means at different eleva- ,tions, associated with said bucket track, form the individual inaterial receivin tracks, the bucket dicharge means for one or said tracks "being adapted 1 to discharge directly to a car; uponfsaid track and a material storage l einber 'p'osition ed above another 0t said material receivingtracks and adapted to rejceiv'e material discharged from said bucket "atiagreaterelevation, f v p I, 1 a combinedjcoal and cinder plant, a :mate ijal dischargingtrack, av-hopper therebeneath, amaterial receiving bucket and a track therefor, said track extending beneath saidhopper, a plurality oiftmaterial receiv- 'ing tracks, said bucket track inclining upwardlyabove and laterally over said receivtracks, separate bucket discharge means, associated with said bucket track, for the individual material, receiving tracks, said bucket ischargingmeans being substantially vertically alined with the material receving tracks and disposed at dlEQiIQ HbGlG? vatio pthereabove, anda, material storage in'einber interposed beneath the highest of discharge means and the, receiving track associated therewith. o

G The combination with a, locomotive j iaaepana coaliiig plant of an upwardly opening coal hopper, a bucket track extendaboye the hopper opening", a bucket On sfa dftr'ac'k and meansofor moving it there'- a lon'g, bucket dumping n1e ch'2 inism--v associated with said track adjacent s'aidh'opper,

a cover for said hopper acent saiddumpjmeclia'nisin and means for raising the cover in response to movementof said i bucket, said last mentioned means including a member engagable by the bucketpin ad- Vance, of the bucket dumping mechanism. 7; The combination with a locomotive Jain; upwardly inclined bucket track terminat- 111;; bove the hopper, a bucket on sald track "and means for moving it therealong,, a

bucket dumping mechanism associated with mechanismfand including a part engagable bygthe bucket inadvance of the dumping mechanism whereby the cover is ra sed in "response to the upward movement of said cinder andfcoaling plant of a coal hopper,

sa d track adgacent sa d hopper, a' cover for said hopper fplvoted ad]accnt said dumprn;

said conveying track adjacent said gap, and supplemental guide means carried by the bucket and adapted to engage the supplemental track to guide one of said track engaging meansupon said bucket over said track gap at the time that another of said track engaging means passes through said gap and rides out upon the dump track.

' 9. In a combined coal and cinder plant, a bucket body, a main track along which said bucket is adapted to ride and means for conveyingit therealong, a dump track extending laterally from said track the main track being provided with a gap adjacent to the dump track to give access thereto, a

- movable track section in the main track adjacent to said gap, and means for moving it to open or close said gap, and a fixed supplemental track, generally parallel with the main track but laterally spaced therefrom,

adjacent said gap.

10. In a combined coal and cinder plant, a bucket body, a main track along which said bucket is adapted to ride and means for conveying it therealong, a dump track extending laterally from said track, a movable track section in the main track, and

means for moving it to open access tosaid dump track, a pair of wheels upon said bucket, adapted to engage said main track and dump track as the bucket advances along said track, an additional pair of wheels upon said bucket adapted to engage said main track and means for carrying them-across the gap opened by the movable f track section, including a fixed supplemental track adjacent the gap and a member upon said bucket adapted to engage said supplemental track.

11. In a combined coal and cinder plant, a bucket body, a main track along which said bucket is adapted to ride, and means for moving the bucket therealong, a dump [track extending laterally from said main track, a track section generally aligned with the main track and longitudinally spaced therefrom, the dump track communicating with the maln track at the gap between the main track and the track section longitudlnally alined therew1th,.and a fixed supplemental track, generally parallel with the llO 

